WWW Wednesday

What are you currently reading?

This novel opens with Sarah Walker witnessing a small girl being abused by her mother in an airport. Sarah has her own childhood trauma brought on by an unfit mother, so her heart aches for the little girl and she does the only reasonable thing: she kidnaps her.

I’ve only just started this one. It’s been from Sarah’s POV so far, but based on the blurb, it sounds like it will switch POV between Sarah, Emma (the kidnapped child), and Amy (Emma’s mother.) I’m excited to get into this novel.

What a beautiful book! So far, this story is the emotional equivalent of sinking into a warm bubble bath. Adventure, monsters, mystery, and love: what more could you ask for in a YA fantasy novel? I’m so impressed with Taylor’s writing style and the rich imagery which she has woven into this story. Lazlo Strange pulled me into this story from the very first page; his obsession with the lost city of Weep is so intense that the reader can’t help but be a little obsessed as well.

What have you recently finished reading?

I didn’t post a formal review of In A Dark, Dark Wood. I enjoy Ruth Ware’s books, but this was probably my least favorite. I believe it was her first attempt at an adult novel, so it’s a bit rustier than her other work. The plot was a bit predictable and the characters could have used better development. Overall, it was a fun read of the “brain candy” variety, but not really quality work.

What do you think you’ll read next?

When a bestselling debut novel from mysterious author J.Colby becomes the literary event of the year, Emiline reads it reluctantly. As an adjunct writing instructor at UC San Diego with her own stalled literary career and a bumpy long-term relationship, Emiline isn’t thrilled to celebrate the accomplishments of a young and gifted writer.

Yet from the very first page, Emiline is entranced by the story of Emerson and Jackson, two childhood best friends who fall in love and dream of a better life beyond the long dirt road that winds through their impoverished town in rural Ohio.

That’s because the novel is patterned on Emiline’s own dark and desperate childhood, which means that “J. Colby” must be Jase: the best friend and first love she hasn’t seen in over a decade. Far from being flattered that he wrote the novel from her perspective, Emiline is furious that he co-opted her painful past and took some dramatic creative liberties with the ending.

The only way she can put her mind at ease is to find and confront “J. Colby,” but is she prepared to learn the truth behind the fiction?

Have you read the books on this list? What are you reading now? Please share your thoughts in the comments!

Oh, I really wanna read Strange the Dreamer! Loved some of Laini Taylor’s other books and you describing the book as “the emotional equivalent of sinking into a warm bubble bath,” makes me want to read it even more!